Just after Christmas, a 70-foot statue of Jesus Christ was erected on a hilltop just south of Rosarito. A project that has been seven years in the making, the incredible figure can be seen from the roadway for miles in both directions along the Pacific coastline. This sculpture is now the tallest full color statue of Christ in the world that features the symbol of the Sacred Heart. In Tijuana, there is another Jesus statue which is 30 centimeters taller, but it is all white and does not bear the Sacred Heart symbol. The statue’s creator, Don Antonio Pequeno, has completely funded the entire project himself.
The artwork is a gift to the Church and to the community, and an expression of Pequeno’s gratitude to God for helping him to succeed in life.
Don Antonio Pequeño, now 75 years of age, dreamed of creating the statue since he was a young man struggling against poverty and hardship. As a small boy, he and his siblings had no father and they took care of each other as best they could. When Antonio was twelve years old, he finally got his first pair of shoes. He often went to church and prayed for work, as did the rest of his brothers and sisters. Little by little the prayers were answered. Life was not easy, but love of family and faith in God helped Antonio’s family through the very hard times. Later in life, he was able to sell some land to investors, and Don Pequeno decided to build the artwork of his dreams.
From the sales of his property, he has privately funded the entire project. No donations have been accepted, and all workers have been paid. Recently, Don Pequeno has become ill and can no longer visit the project site. People who know him say that he is a very humble and private man. He does not like the public fanfare directed at him, and will not answer questions about the cost of the project. His son Eduardo said that he has never provided any cost figures to anyone, because the money is not the point. “It is the gift to the people, to all people, because Jesus is for everyone”, said Eduardo.
Local residents have been watching the progress of this remarkable undertaking for years. The statue contains seven sections, which were created at the bottom of the hill near the free road entrance to Villas San Pedro. Fashioned by the artist Gregorio Ramirez of Tijuana, it took many artisans, metal workers, and skilled laborers to create the sculpture. The first section was the head. Family members from Guadalajara flew in to paint the details of the face and eyes, which are quite lifelike. Next, the sleeves, hands and the upper portion of the robe were created using a fiberglass and resin process similar to building the hull of a boat. Each week, a 50-gallon barrel of resin was consumed, which cost $500 per barrel. The resin was then brushed onto 12 separate layers of fiberglass cloth and allowed to dry. Finally, the sections were joined together and travelers could see Jesus with his arms outstretched facing the hillside looking east.
Slowly, all of the sections were moved up the extremely steep and narrow road to the top of the mountain. The “hull” of the statue is one inch thick and weighs approximately 60,000 pounds.
To erect the fiberglass form, a large crane was set up next to the statue. A thick cable was attached to a hook, which was anchored into the top of the head. Carefully, the statue was raised to a standing position. Then it had to be moved forward to the awaiting cupola, which will be its base and also serve as a chapel. This process took three separate moves, as the crane was limited in its reach. During the first week of the New Year, the entire statue was raised up nearly 60 feet to place it on an infrastructure of metal girders and scaffolding. Skilled welders climbed up ladders inside the statue, and welded the metal framework to the “hull”. To set the statue into place, it will only take one day to lift the statue into the cupola and bolt it down. But, recent rains and Santa Ana winds of 30 to 40 mph have hampered progress. The giant crane can only work when there is no wind. Given the right conditions, the Jesus body could be in place by the second week of January.
Don Pequeño has donated the statue and the entire hilltop to the Catholic Diocese of Tijuana, but it is open to the public. The location of this spiritual refuge makes it very easy to visit, although the road that winds up the hillside is a steep grade and is unmarked. It is destined to become a pilgrimage site for the faithful, and a tourist attraction because of its dramatic beauty. Since the sculpture can be seen standing, it is already attracting many visitors. Several people reported that they felt a kind of vertigo when they stood close to the base and looked upward into the compassionate eyes of Jesus. Certainly, just the engineering feat alone is awe-inspiring. As Rio de Janeiro is known for its Jesus statue on Sugar Loaf mountain, it now appears that Northern Baja may become known for the Sacred Heart of Christ.
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